UNIVERSITY     OF     CALIFORNIA      AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION 
COLLEGE   OF  AGRICULTURE  BENJ-  ,DE  WHEELER-  '»■  —  »" 

THOMAS     FORSYTH     HUNT.    DEAN  AND    DIRECTOR 
BERKELEY  H-     E-     VAN     NORMAN<     VICE-DIRECTOR    AND    DEAN 

University    Farm    School 


CIRCULAR  No.  183 


INFECTIOUS  ABORTION  IN  COWS 

By  F.  M.  HAYES 


With  the  exception  of  tuberculosis,  no  disease  of  cattle  is  of  so 
much  economic  importance  in  California  at  this  time  as  infectious 
abortion.  The  direct  loss  from  calves  dropped  too  early  to  live,  and 
from  decreased  milk  production,  is  great;  but  the  indirect  loss  from 
such  conditions  as  sterility,  retained  after-birth,  and  some  ill-defined 
calf  troubles,  which  evidence  indicates  are  closely  associated  with 
abortion  infection,  rival  the  calf  and  milk  loss.  A  knowledge  of 
the  cause,  means  of  infection,  manner  of  spread  and  the  proper 
application  of  remedial  measures  recommended  will  aid  materially 
in  reducing  not  only  the  number  of  abortions  but  also  the  allied 
troubles. 

The  cause  of  infectious  abortion  is  a  germ  which  can  be  found  in 
large  numbers  in  the  discharges  from  the  womb,  in  the  afterbirth,  in 
the  aborted  fetus  and,  in  many  cases,  in  the  milk  of  infected  cows. 
Any  treatment  applied  must  be  directed  toward  the  destruction  of 
the  germs  from  these  sources  of  distribution  and  toward  the  keeping 
of  healthy  cows  from  coming  in  contact  with  the  infected  ones. 

Symptoms. — The  expulsion  of  the  immature  fetus  at  any  period 
of  gestation  is  usually  the  most  prominent  symptom  noticed.  How- 
ever, there  may  be  observed  the  usual  symptoms  of  normal  calving 
three  or  four  days  prior  to  the  actual  abortion.  Following  the  abor- 
tion a  dirty,  yellowish-gray,  flaky  discharge,  continuing  for  varying 
lengths  of  time,  is  usually  present.  The  afterbirth  is  frequently 
retained,  especially  in  cows  that  abort  after  the  sixth  month  of  preg- 
nancy, whereas  in  abortions  occurring  during  the  third  or  fourth 
month  the  fetus  may  be  expelled  with  the  fetal  envelopes  intact.  In 
all  herds  wherein  abortion  infection  exists  there  are  such  allied  con- 
ditions as  sterility  in  virgin  heifers,  sterility  following  abortions, 
retained  afterbirths  after  normally  and  prematurely  born  calves, 
inflammation  of  the  womb,  and  calf  scours  and  pneumonia.  These 
latter  conditions  are  considered  by  many  investigators  to  be  symptoms 
of  abortion  just  as  much  as  the  phenomenon  of  abortion.  Viewed 
from  this  basis  there  are  very  few  dairy  herds  that  are  free  from  the 
disease. 

It  is  at  times  difficult  to  determine  whether  a  single  abortion  is  of 
the  infectious  type.  It  may  be  considered  by  some  that  an  abortion 
now  and  then  is  to  be  expected  from  other  causes.      However,  no 


abortion  is  a  normal  condition  and  in  the  light  of  our  present  knowl- 
edge all  such  cases  should  be  handled  as  an  abortion  induced  by 
infection.  If  several  abortions  occur  during  the  season  and  there 
are  also  retained  afterbirths  and  calf  troubles  it  is  sufficient  evidence 
that  the  infectious  form  exists.  There  are  laboratory  tests  that  can 
be  made  upon  the  blood  of  cows  which  can  be  relied  upon  to  determine 
whether  the  infection  is  present  in  the  herd,  but  which  are  not  suf 
ficiently  developed  to  pick  out  all  of  the  individual  cows  that  have 
the  disease  in  their  system. 

The  Veterinary  Division  of  the  University  will  make  these  tests 
upon  the  blood  free  of  charge,  in  certain  instances  where  the  tests 
seem  to  be  especially  desirable.  Before  any  samples  of  blood  are 
submitted,  however,  the  matter  should  be  taken  up  by  letter  to  the 
Veterinary  Division  and  special  arrangements  for  making  the  tests 
made. 

Abortion  is  spread  by  the  discharges  from  infected  cows.  The 
germs  in  these  discharges  may  enter  the  healthy  animals  in  at  least 
two  important  ways,  viz.,  by  the  digestive  tract,  and  by  the  vagina 
through  service  to  a  bull  contaminated  with  the  discharges.  The 
digestive  tract  is  a  very  important  route.  Healthy  cows  that  have 
access  to  water,  feed  and  pastures  contaminated  with  the  discharges 
from  an  infected  cow  are  likely  to  contract  the  disease.  Likewise 
floors,  stanchions  and  cows  upon  which  the  discharge  has  lodged  may 
be  licked  by  the  healthy  cows  and  the  germs  taken  into  the  digestive 
tract. 

The  experimental  evidence  indicates  that  the  bull  is  only  a  mechan- 
ical carrier  of  the  germs.  After  serving  a  cow  which  still  has  a 
discharge  or  the  germs  in  the  vagina,  he  may  mechanically  carry  the 
infcetion  to  the  next  healthy  cow  to  which  he  is  served. 

PREVENTION  AND  TREATMENT 

Drugs  and  Vaccines. — At  present  there  is  no  known  remedy  for 
curing  or  preventing  infectious  abortion.  Many  different  drugs  have 
been  recommended  in  the  past  and  are  still  being  advertised.  The 
dairyman  would  do  well  to  disregard  the  alluring  statements  made 
in  the  advertising  of  these  remedies  and  save  the  money  for  approved 
methods  of  handling  the  abortion  problem.  Vaccines,  bacterins  and 
serums  are  also  advertised,  but  the  use  of  these  is  at  present  only  in 
the  experimental  stage.  The  claims  made  for  them  by  some  people 
are  unwarranted.  The  principles  of  immunization  by  vaccines,  etc., 
are,  no  doubt,  correct  and  something  of  this  nature  may  be  developed 
in  the  near  future.  It  is  characteristic  of  the  abortion  disease  to  be 
rampant  in  some  herds  and  less  virulent  in  others.  The  same  may 
occur  in  any  individual  herd  at  different  times.  Cows  affected  have 
a  tendency  to  acquire  immunity  and  some,  although  infected,  never 
abort;  many  abort  only  once,  and  only  a  small  percentage  abort  the 
second  and  third  time.  The  value  of  many  advertised  drugs  and 
vaccines  is  based  upon  this  natural  tendency. 

Treatment  of  the  Cow. — The  dairyman  should  have  a  sanitary 
box  stall  or  a  small  barn  with  three  or  four  sanitary  stalls  which 
can  be  used  for  a  hospital.  At  the  first  indication  that  an  abortion 
is  likely  to  occur  the  cow  should  be  isolated  from  the  herd.      When 


the  abortion  has  occurred,  the  afterbirth,  fetus  and  soiled  litter  should 
be  burned  or  buried  deeply.  If  the  afterbirth  is  retained  a  veteri- 
narian should  be  called  unless  the  owner  thoroughly  understands  the 
manner  of  removal.  At  no  time  should  the  vagina  or  uterus  be  entered 
with  the  hand  until  the  root  of  the  tail  and  vulva  are  cleansed  with 
soap  and  water,  followed  by  the  application  of  a  disinfectant  solution, 
such  as  eight  tablespoonfuls  of  cresol  compound  in  a  gallon  of  water 
or  by  the  use  of  1-1000  corrosive  sublimate  solution.  The  finger  nails 
should  be  trimmed  and  the  hands  and  nails  disinfected  in  a  like 
solution. 

Douching  after  an  abortion  or  removal  of  the  afterbirth,  is  of 
doubtful  value.  The  introduction  of  disinfectants  may  do  consider- 
able harm.  If  any  douche  is  given  it  should  be  for  the  purpose  of 
washing  out  the  accumulated  discharge  and  not  for  disinfection  of  the 
genital  passages.  It  is  safer  for  the  untrained  to  inject  nothing  into 
the  uterus  and  to  confine  the  douche  to  the  vagina  only.  The  best 
solution  for  this  purpose  can  be  made  of  four  tablespoonfuls  of  com- 
mon salt  added  to  a  gallon  of  clean,  preferably  boiled,  warm  water. 
It  may  be  introduced  into  the  vagina  through  a  soft  rubber  horse  stom- 
ach tube  with  a  funnel  in  its  elevated  end.  The  tube  should  be  soaked 
in  one  of  the  above  disinfectants  for  at  least  ten  minutes  after  use 
and  before  using  on  any  other  cow. 

External  disinfection  of  the  cows  that  have  aborted  is  the  most 
important  part  of  the  treatment  of  the  cow.  This  will  prevent  the 
spread  of  the  abortion  germs  to  other  cows  and  prevent  other  harmful 
germs  from  entering  the  genital  passages.  These  passages  are  in  a 
weakened  condition  at  such  periods  and  harmful  or  fatal  infection 
may  take  place. 

As  long  as  a  discharge  soils  the  tail  of  any  cow  in  the  herd, 
whether  a  known  aborter  or  not,  the  external  parts  should  be  disin- 
fected. This  may  be  accomplished  by  using  one  of  the  two  disinfectant 
solutions  mentioned  above.  The  solution  should  be  applied  twice  a 
day  to  the  rump,  hind  legs,  escutcheon,  vulva  and  all  of  the  tail. 
Keep  the  cow  away  from  others  for  several  days  after  she  has  cleaned 
up  and  do  not  breed  her  again  for  at  least  sixty  days.  It  requires 
time  for  the  womb  to  become  normal  again.  Keep  in  mind,  also,  that 
the  main  factors  in  controlling  infectious  abortion  effectively  are  to 
kill  the  germs  in  the  discharge,  and  to  keep  healthy  cows  from  coming 
in  contact  with  these  discharges. 

Treatment  of  the  Bull. — If  the  same  bull  is  used  for  all  of  the  cows 
his  sheath  should  be  disinfected  before  and  after  each  service  with 
y2  per  cent  compound  solution  of  cresol,  two  teaspoonfuls  to  three 
pints  of  water.  Clip  the  long  hairs  of  the  prepuce  and  sheath.  Use 
a  tube  and  funnel  or  an  ordinary  household  douche  bag.  Insert  the 
tube  into  the  prepuce  and  hold  it  so  as  to  prevent  the  escape  of  the 
disinfectant  until  the  sack  is  filled.  The  outside  of  the  sheath  should 
also  be  sponged  with  the  disinfectant. 

Treaatment  of  the  Premises. — The  first  factor  in  the  prevention 
of  disease  is  to  have  barns  so  constructed  that  there  is  plenty  of  light, 
sunshine  and  air.  The  opposite  of  these  conditions  aids  in  harboring 
and  transmitting  the  germs  of  disease.  Frequently  sweep  ceilings, 
walls,  stanchions  and  floors,  and  apply  strong  disinfectants  with  a 


spray  pump.  The  interior  should  be  covered  with  whitewash,  to  each 
gallon  of  which  should  be  added  four  ounces  of  chloride  of  lime,  once 
or  twice  a  year,  and  especially  after  any  attack  of  an  infectious 
disease. 

Treatment  of  the  Herd. — The  practice  of  selling  all  of  the  cows 
that  abort  is  wrong.  No  cow  should  be  sacrificed  for  meat  unless  she 
has  been  proved  unprofitable  from  the  dairy  standpoint.  On  the 
other  hand,  no  unprofitable  cow  should  be  retained  in  the  herd  and 
an  effort  should  be  made  to  feed  only  those  that  pay  their  way.  A 
cow  that  has  the  abortion  infection  has  a  tendency  to  develop  an 
immunity.  If  she  is  properly  cared  for  following  the  abortion  she 
may  breed  regularly  thereafter.  If  she  were  sold  because  she  aborted 
she  probably  would  have  to  be  replaced  with  a  cow  of  unknown  history 
or  with  a  non-infected  cow  which  may  acquire  the  infection,  abort,  and 
bring  the  situation  to  the  same  point  that  it  was  before  selling.  The 
best  plan  seems  to  be  to  retain  the  aborters,  giving  them  a  fair  chance 
to  breed  before  disposing  of  them,  and  raise  the  heifer  calves  to  keep 
the  herd  up  to  the  required  number. 

The  carrying  out  of  the  aforementioned  suggestions  for  the  sup- 
pression of  infectious  abortion  may  seem  an  arduous  task.  It  is  the 
price,  however,  that  has  been  paid  by  many  breeders  and  dairymen 
for  success. 

Abortion  in  Range  Cattle. — The  extension  of  infectious  abortion 
to  cattle  ranges  is  becoming  an  important  economic  problem  in  this  as 
well  as  in  other  states.  The  recommendations  given  above  for  its  con- 
trol in  dairy  herds  are  not  all  practical  to  apply  to  cattle  on  the 
ranges.  In  view  of  this  it  is  strongly  advised  that  special  efforts  be 
made  to  prevent  the  introduction  of  the  disease  to  the  range.  Since 
the  principal  means  of  infecting  the  range  is  through  the  turning  on 
of  bulls  and  ' '  cull ' '  cows  from  dairy  herds  it  is  evident  that  the  best 
means  of  prevention  is  to  discontinue  this  practice. 


